| Fernando de Aragon
AICP Director Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council
An Ithaca Journal Editorial of June 20, 2002, titled
"Could we curb cars
for a day?," challenged Ithacans to have a "day
to carpool, walk, bicycle, roller blade, telecommute or
take to the bus instead of driving solo." The challenge
was accepted by a group of agencies and individuals who
formed the Curb Your Car Coalition. This group is sponsoring
a weeks long Community Conversation on Transportation,
May 10-21.
As director of the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation
Council I participate in the work of the Curb Your Car
Coalition and follow the development of this activity
with great interest. On a daily basis I deal with issues
of traffic congestion, land use impacts on transportation,
transit, pedestrian and bicycle issues, etc. Transportation
projects can benefit and improve our community and often
do, but just as easily they can wreck a vital neighborhood.
The impacts of transportation on a community are numerous
and varied, and not always predictable.
The longer I am in this profession the more I am convinced
that our responses to transportation related challenges
also need to be numerous and varied. In other words, there
is no silver bullet in transportation. No single road,
bridge, beltway, or other project will take care of our
problems.
Studies sponsored by the ITCTC over the last five years,
the Northeast Subarea Transportation Study (NEST), Tompkins
County Freight Study, NESTS Transit Planning Project,
all highlight the complexity of interrelationships encountered
in transportation planning. Solutions to transportation
and other related issues will need to come from a holistic
approach to dealing with transportation issues locally.
We, as a community, need to recognize and work with the
interrelationships that exist between transportation and
economic development, land use development patterns, general
quality of life and the vitality of our communities. One
of the key focus areas should be trying to expand mobility
options for our residents.
Like many other communities, here in Tompkins County
there is an imbalance in the transportation mode choice
we make - we depend too much on our cars. We all know
that car dependency is not a local phenomenon. It's a
way of life nationwide. And, why not? Cars are relatively
reliable, extremely convenient and, the way things are,
often the only option to get to our destinations.
However, this legendary love affair with cars is beginning
to fall into hard times. Congestion is reducing convenience,
cost of car ownership is substantial (estimated conservatively
at $3,000 per year for an Ithaca resident), and other
negative side effects on air quality, noise, safety and
community livability are also significant.
We are fortunate in Tompkins County that we have resources
and conditions that enhance our potential to diversify
our transportation choices. We have what is, by many measures,
the best transit system in Upstate NY. TCAT offers excellent
transit choices that are continuously improving. On the
bicycle/pedestrian arena, a substantial number of people
already commute to work by bicycle and walking, particularly
in our urban areas.
This points to the substantial untapped potential of
these modes of transportation. With regards to land use,
the ideas of "smart growth" and "new urbanism"
have been studied and matured to offer options and alternatives
that can be adapted to meet local needs. The citizens'
Working Group that led the Northeast Subarea Transportation
Study was clear in identifying inefficient land use development
patterns as the root cause leading to problems in the
transportation system. Considering the ramifications of
land use development decisions on the provision of transportation
is critical to maintaining the efficient operation of
our transportation systems over the long run.
During the next 18 months the Ithaca-Tompkins County
Transportation Council will be updating its 20-year Long
Range Transportation Plan. At the same time, the Tompkins
County Planning Department will be working on a new countywide
Comprehensive Plan. Staff from these agencies will work
together to integrate these plans to achieve more effective
planning documents. It is expected that these coordinated
planning processes will provide some insight into the
transportation impacts of different land development patterns
in future years.
The Community Conversation on Transportation events in
May offer the opportunity to learn more about transportation
options in our community. It is also an opportunity to
reflect on your personal choice for transportation and
to provide input into the ongoing transportation planning
process for Tompkins County. Please participate in the
conversation. We need to hear from you to produce the
best plans for our future in Tompkins County.
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